Limestone pavement
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A limestone pavement is a karst landform consisting of a horizontal surface, or bedding plane, of exposed limestone showing the effects of weathering. Since weathering action, most commonly carbonation, is always more pronounced along cracks and crevices it appears to break up the surface into segments which, if they are roughly rectangular, can give the appearance of an artificial pavement. More usually, however, resulting blocks are less regular. In geographical studies, the weathered fissures are sometimes called "grikes" or "grykes" while the resulting blocks are known as "clints". These terms are derived from the North of England dialect.
They were formed during the ice age when the ice scraped away the top soil, leaving behind a bare, rocky surface. This left the limestone exposed to the elements and it was weathered away by the processes of frost shattering and carbonation (see weathering).
Notable examples of pavements are found in the Yorkshire Dales in Northern England, such as those above Malham Cove and on the side of Ingleborough, and in The Burren, County Clare, Ireland, where there are large areas of exposed limestone.
